Friday Night SmackDown It will continue with its current three -hour format “for the moment”, although it had initially agreed that this change would be temporary. As reported by the person behind the account of WrestleVotesthrough its radio program, the plans between WWE y USA Network They have changed on the march.
In January, both parties had agreed that the program would return to its traditional duration of two hours after the episode of the May 30. However, the decision has been reversed and SmackDown will continue to extend for three hours every Friday, without a specific date to again cut the time.
According to the sources, USA Network is satisfied with program performanceespecially in the third hour, which has generated good audience numbers and more advertising income. Although there are internal conversations to return to two hours, that possibility would be subject to Start of the new television season In September.
Internally, there are divided postures. Some members of the creative and production team of WWE believe that the three -hour format negatively affects the rhythm of the showgenerates unnecessary filling and exhausts the creative team. Instead of using additional time to show emerging talent, many segments of the third block are perceived as little relevant or simply expendable.
Comparisons with Monday Night Raw They are inevitable. The Monday show has also suffered criticism since it went to three hours in 2012, facing the same problems of rhythm and excess content. Now, SmackDown seems to follow a similar path, although backed by the figures that interest the chain.
For now, Fans will have to continue dealing with three program hours Every Friday. The two -hour change could occur, or not, in September, when the chains usually adjust their grills for the new television season. Until then, WWE and USA bet on continuing to sume every minute of Smackdown.
